System for launching and recovering marine and submarine devices assisted by tiltable protective components

ABSTRACT

A system for launching and recovering a marine or submarine device from a support vessel. The system includes a carriage and at least one protective component. Each protective component is connected to the carriage by a pivot connection of which the axis, when the device is secured to the vessel, is parallel to the surface of the water. The at least one protective component is suitable for raising the marine or submarine device partially out of the water during recovery and for placing the marine or submarine device in the water during a launch, by rotation of the protective component(s) about the carriage.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a National Stage of International patent applicationPCT/EP2015/074624, filed on Oct. 23, 2015, which claims priority toforeign French patent application No. FR 1402392, filed on Oct. 24,2014, the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the maritime field and relates to a systemfor launching and recovering marine or submarine devices (Launch AndRecovery System (L.A.R.S.)). The launch and recovery system beingcapable on the one hand of raising the device from the water as a towingsystem on board a support vessel and on the other hand of lowering thedevice from the support vessel onto the sea. It notably applies tolaunching towed or autonomous submarine devices, the latter beingprovided with a temporary connection to the launch and recovery systemduring the launch and recovery phases.

BACKGROUND

The operations of launching and recovering a marine or submarine devicefrom or to a support vessel also responsible for the transportation ofthe device generally include a critical phase, especially in a choppysea conditions. That phase consists in the passage from the totally outof the water state in which the device is fastened to a handling meansemployed by the launch and recovery system to the totally submergedstate in which the device no longer has any connection with the handlingmeans of the launch and recovery system, and vice versa. In fact, it isduring these critical phases that the ocean swell is the most dangerousto the integrity of the device, the device being agitated by the motionswell when it is close either to the structure of the vessel or to thatof the lifting and handling means of the launch and recovery system,with the attendant risk of striking the vessel and/or the launch andrecovery system. This is the case in particular for a marine orsubmarine device in the launch or recovery phase when the device ispartly in the water. In this regard, the device movements are not yet(or no longer) completely controlled by the lifting and handling meansof the launch and recovery system.

Accordingly, where autonomous devices, not towed by the vessel, areconcerned, one known solution consists in providing mooring means on thehull of the device, for example securing means, said securing meansbeing such that the device can be lifted whilst remaining in ahorizontal position. Launching and recovery can then be carried outusing a winch mounted on a mobile gantry placed at the stern of thevessel, for example, or a crane, the gantry or the crane making itpossible to position the lifting winch over the recovery area.Thereafter launching and raising are effected vertically, which limitsthe possibilities of collision with the vessel during raising orlowering. Alternatively, the device can be lifted by placing it in acradle type device itself including appropriate securing points.

This type of solution is applicable, notably autonomously, to devicestowed from the center but is not easily applicable to devices towed fromthe front, however, in that, for obvious reasons of efficacy, the aim isto tow and to handle the device using a single cable. Handling by meanssuch as those described above using a single cable proves delicatebecause it leads to the device passing from the vertical position to thehorizontal position during launch and conversely during recovery. Thishandling moreover necessitates complementary operations the object ofwhich is, after the device is lifted and positioned above the deck ofthe vessel, to deposit the device flat on the deck of the vessel or moregenerally in a storage area. These operations generally necessitate theintervention of human operatives, which intervention is rendered moredelicate and more dangerous in a heavy sea. In the case of devices towedfrom the front, the solution that is generally preferred consists inusing a handling cable temporarily attached above the center of gravityof the device.

A solution that is also used provides handling based on the placement ofmeans including an inclined ramp on which the device slides onto thesurface of the water or to leave it and return to the vessel. The rampis generally configured to guide the device along a rectilineartrajectory, which prevents the device from being able to move laterally.However, a ramp of this kind is not generally suitable for use in aheavy sea: lateral movements of the device can then damage the ramp.

Using such means advantageously makes it possible to launch and todeploy the device behind the vessel by allowing the towing cable to playout and, conversely, to recover the device on board the vessel bywinding in the cable, for example onto the drum of a winch. In this waythe device towed by the vessel can be launched and recovered when thevessel is moving so that the device is naturally positioned on the axisof forward movement of the vessel.

Various solutions have been developed to alleviate these problems ofcoming into contact, generally suited to a given type of device. Theseknown solutions generally consists in reinforcing the structure of thedevice, principally the nose, so that the nose resists impacts followingentry into contact with the end of the ramp. It also consists in usingmeans for minimizing these impacts, in particular configuring the rampso that an end of the ramp is situated below the surface of the water sothat the device floating on the surface comes into contact with aninclined surface of the ramp and not the end of the ramp. Solutions ofthis kind nevertheless prove inadequate in a heavy sea because of aslamming effect of the waves is accentuated by the movement of thevessel.

Other solutions have been developed (see for example EP 20110793422 andU.S. Pat. No. 8,430,049B1) in which the vessel incorporates a tiltablearticulated ramp. The inclination of the ramp makes it possible tocontrol the submerged part of the ramp. Once the ramp is submerged, thedevice is towed over an abutment that separates the ramp from thesurface of the water. Moreover, in a heavy sea the ramp may come out ofthe water.

The foregoing solution is effective but cannot be fitted to all vessels.In fact, many vessels cannot support a weight necessary for installationof the equipment linked to the operation of a tiltable articulated ramp.The problem solved by the present invention is to cause the marine orsubmarine device to pass over a step situated between the end of theramp and the water, notably when a small vessel is used, for exampleless than 50 meters long and preferably less than 20 meters long,incapable of supporting the installation of equipment that is too heavy,such as a tiltable articulated ramp as described in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention includes a system comprising a ramp and a devicefor launching and recovering a marine or submarine device from and to asupport vessel, the device for launching and recovering including acarriage and at least one protective component, characterized in that:

each of said protective components is connected to the carriage by apivot connection of which the axis is parallel to the surface of thewater when said device is secured to said vessel;

at least one of said protective components is adapted to raise saidmarine or submarine device partially or totally out of the water duringa recovery and to place said marine or submarine device in or partiallyin the water during a launch by rotation of said protective componentabout said carriage;

said carriage and said ramp are connected by a sliding connection;

said ramp is fastened to said vessel;

at least one of said protective components is adapted to raise or todeposit said marine or submarine device by contact with one or more ofat least a wing of said marine or submarine device, at least one lateralprotuberance of said marine or submarine device, and the hull of saidmarine or submarine device;

said system includes at least one sliding zone situated along said ramp,in contact with said protective part and fastened to said vessel, and inthat

at least one of said protective components is adapted to cooperate withsaid sliding zone to cause said marine or submarine device to move froma support of at least one of said protective components to a support ofsaid ramp or from said support of said ramp to said support of at leastone of said protective components.

The system advantageously comprises at least two of said protectivecomponents fastened together.

The protective component or each of said protective componentsadvantageously comprises a protective part and an arm connected by amechanical connection such that said arm or each of said arms isconnected by one of said pivot connections to said carriage.

Each of said protective parts advantageously comprises at least onecurved part and is adapted to limit the movements of said marine orsubmarine device.

At least one part of one of said protective parts of the system isadvantageously hollowed out so as not to come into contact with morefragile parts of the marine or submarine device.

The pivot connection connecting each protective component to thecarriage is advantageously freely rotatable.

At least one of said protective parts of the system advantageouslyincludes at least one roller mounted at one of its ends and pivotingabout a second axis parallel to the surface of the water when saidsystem is secured to said vessel.

At least one of said protective parts advantageously includes at leastone roller mounted on a part of said protective part adapted tocooperate with said sliding zone and pivoting about a second axisparallel to the surface of the water when said system is secured to saidvessel.

The vessel advantageously includes traction means adapted to control thesliding of said marine or submarine device on said ramp. The carriage ofsaid system can be in direct or indirect contact with said marine orsubmarine device during recovery or launch of said marine or submarinedevice.

The marine or submarine device is advantageously autonomous and at leastone of said protective components includes an attachment device enablingconnection of said autonomous submarine device at least to saidprotective component.

The traction means of the system advantageously include a winch, atraction cable and drive means such that said traction cable is fastenedto said marine or submarine device, is driven by said winch, itselffastened to said support vessel and such that the carriage includes afairlead guiding said traction cable on the axis of the ramp.

The system advantageously comprises at least one launch and recoveryraising element fastened to at least one of said sliding zones in whichat least one of said protective components is able to cooperate with atleast one of said launch and recovery raising elements to cause saidmarine or submarine device to move from a support of at least one ofsaid protective components to a support of said ramp or from saidsupport of said ramp to said support of at least one of said protectivecomponents.

At least one of said sliding zones of the system is advantageouslyadapted to force the rotation of at least one of said protectivecomponents about said carriage when said carriage slides on said ramp,locally raising said marine or submarine device to facilitate itsrecovery or its launch.

The system advantageously also includes at least one launch and recoveryraising element fastened to at least one of said sliding zones, adaptedto force by contact the rotation of at least one of said protectivecomponents about said carriage when said carriage slides on said ramp,locally raising said marine or submarine device to facilitate itsrecovery or its launch.

The system is advantageously adapted to modify the attitude of saidmarine or submarine device during the launch or the recovery of saidmarine or submarine device.

The present invention also consists in a vessel equipped with at leastone of said systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and other advantages, detailsand features thereof will become apparent in the course of the followingexplanatory description given by way of example and with reference tothe appended drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the launch and recoverydevice;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic profile view of one embodiment of a protectivepart supporting a wing of a marine or submarine device;

FIG. 3 is a profile view of the entire system at the moment of launch orrecovery;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the entire system when the marine orsubmarine device is entirely mounted on a ramp, and

FIG. 5 is a sequence of diagrammatic profile views of the entire systemdescribing a complete recovery phase.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description presents a number of embodiments of the deviceof the invention: these examples are not limiting on the scope of theinvention. These embodiments present both the essential features of theinvention and additional features linked to the embodiments considered.For clarity, the same elements bear the same reference numbers in thevarious figures.

In the remainder of the text the terms front, rear, in front of andbehind are defined relative to the longitudinal axis of the supportvessel 6 oriented from the stern toward the bow of the support vessel 6.

FIG. 1 presents a diagrammatic perspective view of the launch andrecovery device 1. The launch and recovery device 1 comprises twoelements: a carriage 2 and a protective component 5. The protectivecomponent 5 comprising two parts fastened together, a protective part 4and an arm 3. In the FIG. 1 example, the two protective components 5 areinstalled one on each side of the carriage 2 and are fastened to eachother. The protective components 5 can pivot about the carriage 2 aboutthe axis y shown. That axis y is parallel to the surface of the water 25when the launch and recovery device 1 is secured to a support vessel asdescribed hereinafter in order to be able to lift or to deposit themarine or submarine device 7 carried by the protective parts 4. Theprotective parts 4 preferably having a curved part 28 to prevent forwardor rearward movement of the marine or submarine device 7 during themaneuver. In one particular embodiment, the carriage 2 includes a part26 that has the function of a fairlead.

FIG. 2 presents a diagrammatic profile view of one embodiment of aprotective part 4. The shape of this embodiment of the protective part 4is in part curved and includes the curved part 28. One of the functionsof the protective part 4 is to carry the marine or submarine device 7and to limit or prevent movements of a front of the marine or submarinedevice 7 such as swerving, heaving, lurching, rolling, and yawing causedby external forces. In one particular embodiment of the invention, therear of the protective part 4 features a hollowed out part 32. Thisconfiguration can be particularly useful in the case of contact betweenthe protective part 4 and a wing 12 of the marine or submarine device 7.

The rear of the wing 22, defining a trailing edge, is thinner andmechanically weaker than the front part 23. In this embodiment, contactcan occur only on the surface of the mechanically strongest part of thewing 12.

FIG. 3 presents a profile view of one embodiment of the whole of thelaunch and recovery device 1 (L.A.R.S.) during a phase of launching orrecovering a marine or submarine device 7. In this embodiment a positionof the protective component 5 is determined by three factors:

the pivot connection 24 with the carriage 2, described above,

a difference between the force of gravity and the buoyant force(Archimedean upthrust) exerted on the protective component 5. In thisparticular embodiment, the protective component 5 is termed of the heavytype because it does not float, and the contact with the wing 12 of themarine or submarine device 7 that bears on the protective component 5.

In this configuration, the pivot connection 24 connecting one of theprotective components 5 and the carriage 2 is freely rotatable. Althoughthe rotation can be constrained by one of the above three factors, thisconfiguration is also made to distinguish this embodiment from aparticular embodiment in which the position of a protective component 5can be determined primarily by a driving torque applied by first drivingmeans to the protective component 5 via the pivot connection 24connected to the carriage 2. In one particular embodiment of theinvention, the protective component 5 can float and can for example becoupled to first driving means to control the submersion of theprotective component 5.

In FIG. 3 the carriage 2 is situated at the bottom of the ramp 11, in alow or retracted position. The ramp 11 and the carriage 2 are connectedby a sliding connection. In the phase of launching or raising the marineor submarine device 7, the front end of the marine or submarine device 7is fastened to the traction cable 16. This traction cable 16 is insertedin the fairlead 26 of the carriage 2 and remains in close contacttherewith, which has the advantageous effect of maintaining the axis ofthe marine or submarine device 7 on the axis of the ramp 11 as themarine or submarine device 7 moves along the ramp 11.

This remaining in contact occurs naturally because the carriage 2 is aheavy component the weight of which, in the absence of the marine orsubmarine device 7, tends to cause the carriage 2 to descend along theramp 11. During a launch, the carriage 2 therefore accompanies themovement of the marine or submarine device 7. In one particularembodiment of the invention, the carriage 2 includes second drivingmeans that enable it to force the descent along the ramp 11 in order toremain in contact with the marine or submarine device 7 during itsrecovery or launch.

The marine or submarine device 7 is raised or lowered by traction means14 consisting of the traction cable 16 fastened to the marine orsubmarine device 7 and a winch 15 fastened to the support vessel 6 thatenables the traction cable 16 to be wound in during a recovery phase orthe traction cable 16 to be paid out during a launch phase with a thirddriving means 20 able to impose a second driving torque on the winch 15.In one particular embodiment, the marine or submarine device 7 can be anautonomous marine or submarine device. In this case, the marine orsubmarine device 7 is provided with a temporary connection during thelaunch and recovery phases. In this regard, the connection between thetraction cable 16 and the marine or submarine device 7 is termedindirect. During the use of an autonomous marine or submarine device,this embodiment can be combined with or replaced by an embodiment inwhich at least one of the protective components 5 has a device forattaching it to the marine or submarine device 7 enabling the marine orsubmarine device 7 and the protective component 5 or protectivecomponents 5 to be connected when they come into contact at thecommencement of recovery of the marine or submarine device 7, forexample.

FIG. 3 also illustrates a raising component 18 situated at the edge ofthe ramp 11. The raising component 18 function is described in detail inthe description of FIG. 4. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of theprotective component 5 coming into contact with the raising component 18during the recovery or launch phase.

FIG. 4 illustrates a diagrammatic perspective view of the entire systemwhen the marine or submarine device 7 has been raised completely ontothe ramp 11. According to an embodiment presented in FIG. 4, the marineor submarine device 7 has been recovered using the device described inFIG. 1 in which the two protective components 5 are installed one oneach side of the carriage 2 and are fastened to each other. This featureenables the marine or submarine device 7 to pass over the step betweenthe end of the ramp 11 and the surface of the water 25 without the noseor the front of the marine or submarine device 7 being in contact withthe ramp 11. This method makes it possible to avoid impacts capable ofdamaging more fragile onboard components such as components or sensors,in particular sonar components.

FIG. 4 illustrates the sliding zone 17 situated along the ramp 11. Thesliding zone 17 remains in contact with the protective component orprotective components 5 when the carriage 2 slides along the ramp 11.According to one embodiment considered, the protective part 4 comprisesa roller 10 mounted at one of its ends and pivoting about an axisparallel to the surface of the water 25, as illustrated in FIG. 3. Thisroller 10 enables the protective part 4 not to rub on the sliding zone17 when the marine or submarine device 7 moves on the ramp 11. Accordingto another embodiment of the invention, the protective part 4 comprisesone or more rollers 10 mounted on a part of said protective part 4 ableto cooperate with said sliding zone 17 and/or a raising component 18pivoting about a second axis parallel to the surface of the water 25when the system is secured to the support vessel 6. The one or morerollers 10 make it possible to prevent rubbing between the protectivecomponents 5 and the sliding zone 17 and/or one or more raisingcomponents 18. The one or more rollers 10 are for example arranged underthe protective part or protective parts 4 relative to the frame ofreference of the vessel.

According to the embodiment considered, the sliding zone 17 also enablesthe raising component 18, which is fastened to it, to be supported withthe object of causing the protective component 5 to move throughcontact.

FIG. 4 moreover illustrates protection and sliding means 30 mounted onthe ramp 11 and adapted to improve the movement of the marine orsubmarine device 7 along the ramp 11 because of the traction exerted bythe traction cable 16 and gravity. The means are for example rollersdisposed laterally on a bottom of the ramp 11 and on which the marine orsubmarine device 7 rolls.

FIG. 5 is a sequence of diagrammatic profile views of the entire thelaunch and recovery device 1 (L.A.R.S.) showing a complete phase ofrecovery of the marine or submarine device 7. One of the main technicalproblems can be illustrated by FIG. 5F. FIG. 5F illustrates the verticalstep of height h present between the surface of the water 25 and the endof the inclined ramp 11. That vertical wall represents a source ofimpacts or shocks with the wall of the marine or submarine device 7during launch and recovery thereof, notably when the front of the marineor submarine device 7 passes between the surface of the water 25 and thebottom of the ramp 11.

The effect of the present invention is to enable launching and recoveryof the marine or submarine device 7 avoiding all contact between thestep described above and the front of the marine or submarine device 7.The recovery sequence is described on the basis of FIG. 5A. FIG. 5Aillustrates an approach phase of the marine or submarine device 7. Thelatter is submerged and fastened to the traction cable 16. It mayhowever be noted that another embodiment may include a marine orsubmarine device 7 navigating on the surface during this recovery phase.The carriage 2 is placed in a retracted position, i.e. at the bottom endof the ramp 11, by gravity or by the second driving means. Theprotective components 5 are in the low position, i.e. pivoted downward,so as to be submerged to receive the marine or submarine device 7. Inthe FIG. 5A example, the principal axis of inertia of the protectivecomponents 5 makes an angle with the surface of the water 25 between 80°and 90° inclusive.

FIG. 5B illustrates the phase of the marine or submarine device 7 comingalongside. The traction cable 16 is wound in by the winch 15. In thisembodiment the marine or submarine device 7 has wings 12. The tractionby the traction cable 16 draws the wings 12 into abutment with theprotective components 5.

FIG. 5C illustrates the phase of the front part of the marine orsubmarine device 7 mounting the step. The traction cable 16 continues tobe wound in by the winch 15. The protective components 5 are constrainedby the wings 12 of the marine or submarine device 7, by the sliding zone17 and by the raising components 18: the protective components 5 thenpivot about the carriage 2, their rotation being forced by the slidingzone 17 and/or a raising component 18. This rotation of the protectivecomponents 5 raises the front of the marine or submarine device 7 to thelevel of the ramp 11. The front of the marine or submarine device 7 doesnot at this time touch any component of the launch and recovery device 1(L.A.R.S.), which makes it possible to protect the sensors frompotentially destructive shocks.

FIGS. 5D and 5E illustrate the continued raising of the marine orsubmarine device 7 on the ramp 11. In FIG. 5D, the traction cable 16continues to be wound in by the winch 15. The protective components 5continue to pivot about the carriage 2 as the carriage 2 slides forwardalong the ramp 11. The protective components 5 slide, or in oneparticular embodiment roll, on the raising component 18, enabling thefront of the marine or submarine device 7 to be raised further. The bodyof the marine or submarine device 7, stronger than its front, bears onprotection and sliding means 30 of the ramp 11, in this instancerollers.

In FIG. 5E, the traction cable 16 continues to be wound in by the winch15. When traction is applied, the marine or submarine device 7 bears onthe protection and sliding means 30 of the ramp 11 until the marine orsubmarine device 7 rests on the ramp 11. The contact between theprotective components 5 and the raising components 18 ceases and theprotective components 5 slide or roll on the sliding zones 17.

FIG. 5F illustrates the marine or submarine device 7 raised to the endof the ramp 11. The protective components 5 are no longer in theirraised position. The front of the marine or submarine device 7 thenrests on the ramp 11 via its body. The protective components 5 remain incontact with the wings 12 and therefore notably limit or prevent rollingof the marine or submarine device 7.

The attitude of the marine or submarine device 7 varies during launch orrecovery as a function of its initial attitude and loads imposed by thesystem. In embodiments of the invention, the normal maximum attitudevariation of the marine or submarine device 7 may be between 0 and 90°inclusive. The system is able to modify the attitude of said marine orsubmarine device during launch or recovery of said marine or submarinedevice.

In one particular embodiment of the invention, the marine or submarinedevice 7 does not comprise either wings 12 or lateral protuberances. Therecovery and launch phases are analogous to those illustrated in FIG. 5:in this embodiment, the protective part or protective parts 4 aredirectly in contact with the hull of the marine or submarine device 7.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system comprising a ramp and a device forlaunching and recovering a marine or submarine device from a supportvessel, said device for launching and recovering comprising: a carriage,said carriage sliding along said ramp, said ramp being arranged on saidsupport vessel; and at least one protective component, each at least oneprotective component having a protective part, each at least oneprotective component is pivotally connected to the carriage about anaxis that is parallel to a surface of water when said device forlaunching and recovering is secured to said support vessel; at least oneof said protective components raise said marine or submarine devicepartially or totally out of the water during a recovery and lower saidmarine or submarine device in or partially in the water during a launchby rotation of said at least one protective component about saidcarriage; at least one of said protective components raise or lower saidmarine or submarine device by contact with at least one of thefollowing: at least a wing of said marine or submarine device, at leastone lateral protuberance of said marine or submarine device, and a hullof said marine or submarine device; said system includes at least onesliding zone situated along said ramp, the at least one sliding zone isin contact with said protective part and fastened to said supportvessel, and wherein at least one of said protective components contactsaid sliding zone to cause said marine or submarine device to move froma position where said marine or submarine device is supported by atleast one of said protective components to a position where said marineor submarine device is supported by said ramp; and wherein at least oneof said protective components operate with said sliding zone to causesaid marine or submarine device to move from a position where saidmarine or submarine device is supported by said ramp to a position wheresaid marine or submarine device is supported by at least one of saidprotective components.
 2. The system as claimed in claim 1 comprising atleast two of said at least one protective component that are fastenedtogether.
 3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least oneprotective component comprises the protective part and an arm, and saidarm or each of said arms is pivotally connected to said carriage.
 4. Thesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein said protective part comprises atleast one curved part to limit movements of said marine or submarinedevice.
 5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one ofsaid protective parts comprises a hollowed out portion to limit contactwith a sensor of a sonar of the marine or submarine device.
 6. Thesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein said at least one protectivecomponent is freely rotatable with respect to the carriage.
 7. Thesystem as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said protectiveparts includes at least one roller having ends, the at least one rollermounted at the ends and pivoting about a second axis parallel to thesurface of the water.
 8. The system as claimed in claim 1, comprising atleast one roller mounted on said protective part to pivot about a secondaxis parallel to the surface of the water.
 9. The system as claimed inclaim 1 comprising traction means to control a sliding of said marine orsubmarine device on said ramp.
 10. The system as claimed in claim 1,comprising an attachment to connect said marine or submarine device atleast to said protective component.
 11. The system as claimed in claim9, wherein said traction means include a winch, a traction cable, anddrive means such that said traction cable is fastened to said marine orsubmarine device and is driven by said winch, said winch being fastenedto said support vessel, and the carriage includes a fairlead for guidingsaid traction cable along an axis of the ramp.
 12. The system as claimedin claim 1, wherein the system modifies an attitude of said marine orsubmarine device during launch or recovery of said marine or submarinedevice.
 13. An assembly comprising the support vessel and the systemaccording to claim 1, the ramp being secured to said support vessel.